‘CYF’s is gone, it hasn’t worked’ – Tolley

Contracting private services can better serve children in state care says Minister for Social Development Anne Tolley.

Ms Tolley told The Nation programme this morning, the Government is also looking at expanding current partnership arrangements with non-government agencies (NGO's), iwi and community organisations.

She says being able to contract services to private providers will enable the state to better serve the needs of children when required.

Ms Tolley says opposition to private services being contracted is based only in ideology and the focus needs to be on what will best serve the child.

"If there is a private psychologist whose services can be purchased to give immediate help to a child who has been damaged and needs that care, I'm going to go every time with meeting the needs of that child."

The Minister denies she is breaking a promise not to privatise state care. She says there is no talk within the Government of passing responsibility to a private provider.

Ms Tolley adds Child, Youth and Family (CYFs) has not been meeting the needs of children and that its time has passed.

"CYF's is gone, you know, it's finished, it's gone. It hasn't worked and we're changing,

"We're now going to a system that works with children right through from prevention to transition."

The Minister addressed concerns that private providers could be selective of children and refuse to help those it deemed too difficult.

She says if a provider continually refuses to take tough cases they will lose their contracts.

"There has to be accountability with that, if the services being provided aren't effective,

"Why would you deal with people like that who are cherry picking the good ones?"